Throughout the running to host the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Orange has been fully mobilised to help France and its capital shine and, thanks to our networks, let everyone stay connected to their passions.

Béatrice Mandine : It’s a project that has rallied and united Orange around something we can naturally associate with, because Orange has historically been a partner of big events and shared emotions. It was an obvious step for Orange to be involved in this fantastic adventure, not just as a collective experience but also the chance to deploy our expertise.

The bid has given us the opportunity to create and stimulate innovative projects while taking advantage of the Olympic momentum. It’s allowed us to undertake a unique approach to open innovation including teams from 20 different companies to design future services that 5G technology could offer audiences during the 2024 Games.

We have also rallied our teams through our worldwide Solidarity FabLabs, which are part of the Orange Foundation, to find innovative solutions that facilitate access to sport. This is an original solidarity initiative in line with the Paris 2024 bid’s values of sharing and achieving.

You’ve decided to support the bid through innovation, connected experiences and positivity, what does this mean for Orange?

Béatrice Mandine : 5G will be a reality by 2024. This network evolution will enable an even more digital and connected society than today.

For a company like Orange, the 2024 Games is a fantastic showcase and opportunity to show our skills in making this a hyper-connected event. It also involves the commitment of thousands of technicians and our entire Group innovation ecosystem to give the Games a digital dimension in terms of athletes, spectators, tourists and participants.

How has Orange taken part and supported the bid?

Béatrice Mandine : First of all Orange offered its expertise, products and services to meet the bid’s connectivity and innovation needs during the major stages of the project. This was reflected in the commitment of our technical teams to design the technical brief and on the issues of heritage and sustainable spectator journey in 2024, while also providing communication (mobile, fibre) solutions during the bid’s events (IOC visit, press conferences etc).

We also created, in partnership with the bid team and the start-up SkyBoy, an unparallel immersive experience. It enables people to explore the venues and the celebration parade thanks to Overlap Reality technology. This experience is still available for the general public to enjoy on the first floor of the Eiffel Tower until 17 September via a dedicated app called Paris Immersion 2024.

What’s more, with nearly 100,000 employees in France including 32,500 in Paris and close to 30 million mobile customers, we have implemented a number of engagement initiatives to help the bid and enable everyone to be an ambassador. More than 1,000 employees participated in a single 10km race on 25 June, which took place simultaneously in 10 cities in France to support Paris 2024. Hundreds of messages were posted in support of Paris 2024 at #JeDeclareMaFlamme and two competition winners flew to Lima to watch the Olympic decision being announced on 13 September.

We’re all very proud to have been part of this adventure and to have contributed to this historic victory for the country.